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1956 and 1955 WE 500s in Green with Grey Cords!!!!

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, December 06, 2013, 06:55:11 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I just won a 1956 green 500 on eBay, $26.16. I put a max bid of $27.52, and won it for $.99 above what the other bidder put in. It has a date of July of 1956, a month after my dad was born.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/271334797751?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

Can someone please post auction pictures, again? I hate to use the forum as a crutch for my picture-posting inability, but I'm gonna try to get my computer situation straightened out soon.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

WesternElectricBen

Looks like you got a good deal! Though you will need to find a bottom right foot for it.

Ben

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on December 06, 2013, 07:05:40 PM
Looks like you got a good deal! Though you will need to find a bottom right foot for it.

Ben

I have plenty of extra bases with suede feet, won't be a big problem. One of the problems is the green line cord. I'll have to figure something out. BTW Ben, on almost every post of mine, your the first one to make a reply :D
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

poplar1

When did they start making green cords? Were straight green hs cords and curly green hs cords introduced the same month and year? Is it possible that the installer added the gray handset cord to replace a straight green one?
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

poplar1

Auction pictures
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Dennis Markham

#5
Early Green 500's were released with both Gray straight handset cords and Gray coiled handset cords.  Although there may have been Green straight cords, I've only seen Green coiled cords for them.

I recently purchased a Green Set off eBay with a Gray straight handset cord.

There is some talk and photos in this thread showing Gray cords on a Green set.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2249.15

Here's the one I purchased recently, though a bit higher in price:

www.ebay.com/itm/380774617025

Also a photo of some other Green sets I have with Gray coiled cords.

WEBellSystemChristian

#6
Those are some real beauties, Dennis! I'm starting to like the neutral gray cords on WE phones...

BTW, weren't coiled cords in 1956 considered a luxury option, or was that only on black phones?
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford


WEBellSystemChristian

Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

poplar1

#9
So based on the 1954-55 booklet and Dennis's recent 1-56 purchase....green cords must have been after 1/56. Dennis, what are the dates on your 500DR-51s--- later than 1-56? \

I'm wondering if the green mounting cord on Christian's 7-56 phone may be original.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

WesternElectricBen

Now that I remember, I did get myself a nice 1955 Green phone which was previously discussed here: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=9045.0

Yes, Christian, I'm on the forum a lot. I mean, what else do you do when you have no friends? I'm just kidding... :)

Ben

Dennis Markham

Two of them are from 3/1957.  Both are without mounting cords.  I don't know what the original cord color was on those.  The third phone is from 8/1957 with matching gray mounting cord.  I may have a later, soft plastic 500 in Green that has green cords.  I'll have to dig it out and see if I can come up with dates.  It would be interested in seeing what the earliest green mounting cord date is from member's phones.

Somewhere, in one of the postings, Jonathan (jsowers) mentioned or showed documentation that during the same time period, either cord (Gray or the matching color, in this case green) would have been available.

I have an earlier Green from April of 1955 that has a brown cloth mounting cord, similar to those found on the 300 series phones.  It is dated '55 just like the rest of the phone.   That cord may have been added in the field but was added at the same time.....'55.  It can be seen and was discussed in this thread:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1265.45

jsowers

This is only from memory, but I recall green cords matching in late 1957, which was over a year after colors like dark beige, yellow and red matched. For whatever reason, green came late to the color matching party.

I've never seen a green straight handset cord, and that would probably be because by the time green cords matched, they weren't installing straight handset cords. There's a small window in summer-fall 1956 where you have color matching straight cords and green was still saddled with gray cords then.

So green with gray cords from 1956 is OK. The handset cord could be straight or coiled. Coil cords were still optional then, but evidently very popular from what has survived.
Jonathan

WEBellSystemChristian

So, do you guys think that the green line cord was installed from the factory, and not added later?
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

JorgeAmely

You should check the mounting cord crimp for a date that matches the phone base. However, as shown in the pictures below, my "Green Toad" WE phone came with a gray mounting cord.
Jorge